Frankie Dettori may have said his goodbyes to British racing, but his legacy on the racecourse will live on when Lanfranco makes his debut at Lingfield on Saturday.
Fittingly trained by the Italian’s long-time ally in the training ranks John Gosden, in conjunction with his son Thady, the Frankel colt is the first offspring of the Group One-winning mare Coronet, who Dettori partnered 11 times and steered not only to Royal Ascot glory, but also a pair of top-level races in France.
Like Coronet, Lanfranco will sport the colours of Dettori’s friend Prince Faisal Salman and his Denford Stud, and although the 52-year-old’s riding days in Britain may be over, the Clarehaven heir apparent Kieran Shoemark will be in the saddle when the youngster starts out over 10 furlongs in the BetMGM Take Time Out During #sgweek23! EBF Maiden Stakes.
“He is the first foal out of Coronet, so he was always a little bit special to us, but dare I say it, a typical first foal and was always going to need a little bit of time,” said Richard Evans, farm manager at Denford Stud.
“Coronet herself did not show her best until she was four and five and we just knew he would need that little bit of time and now he is going to be seeing a racecourse for the first time and it is very much see how we go.
“The feeling is he won’t show himself until next year really and at least the run this year will give him a little bit of experience. He’s very much out for a run and gaining experience and we just hope he progresses over the winter.”
The name Lanfranco had been reserved by Denford Stud awaiting the right opportunity to honour the decorated jockey and although Dettori played a key role in assigning the moniker, it is now unlikely he will get the chance to partner the colt on track following his forthcoming pre-retirement move to America.
“The name came about from Frankie’s visit to us earlier in the year,” Evans explained.
“Frankie is obviously very good friends with the Prince and we had the name Lanfranco on hold and we gave him the choice. It was very much while visiting the stud, choose which colt you would like to name, and he went for the Frankel-Coronet, as one might expect.
“It was good to use the name and it would be lovely if Frankie could ride him, but as we all know, we’re getting towards the end of Frankie’s career and the colt won’t be showing his best until next year, so just maybe it won’t happen. You never know.”
Exeter Chiefs captain Poppy Leitch wants her side to continue “moving in the right direction” as they prepare to compete in the inaugural Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby season.
PWR replaces the Premier 15s competition and starts on Saturday when Bristol Bears host Sale Sharks, while the Chiefs are in action against newcomers Leicester Tigers on Sunday.
The Chiefs will be aiming to bounce back from their Premiership final disappointment last season, where they lost 34-19 to Gloucester-Hartpury in June.
However, there is plenty still to cheer about for Exeter who have won two Allianz Cups and reached two consecutive league finals since their inception into the Premiership in 2020 – something Leitch admits is a “pinch yourself moment”.
“There are moments you have to pinch yourself to remind yourself about how far we’ve come in such a short period of time,” she told the PA news agency.
“But the exciting thing is, although we’ve had an exciting last three years, hopefully the next three years we have great player retention, people will still be playing at Sandy Park and these young faces playing in the cup and getting their Premiership debuts over the last couple of weeks are still very much part of Chiefs and we get that longevity of people’s careers while they represent what is such an amazing club.
“It’s a pinch yourself moment about how far we’ve come in a short period of time, but hopefully we continue to move in the right direction.”
Alongside playing for Chiefs, Leitch works as head coach of Exeter University Women’s Rugby Club and hopes that as the standard of Premiership rugby continues to improve players can eventually experience careers as professional athletes.
She said: “I think the next big thing is trying to get a large majority of players that are at Premiership clubs not on dual careers and being able to actually experience life as a proper female rugby professional athlete, which at the moment isn’t really the case across many of the squads.
“I suppose what drives me is probably how could you not try and get yourself into a Premiership environment that is the most up and coming, exciting women’s sport on the planet at the moment.
“I feel very fortunate to play in my hometown, I feel very fortunate to run out at Sandy Park, but I think the thing that kind of keeps you going when you work long hours then go to training and play high quality games at the weekend, is that everybody around you is challenging you to do better.
“I think that’s a really enticing part of the Premiership is each year the level of play increases massively, the standard increases massively and that in itself is usually motivating and engaging.”
Following their successful application to join PWR, Ealing Trailfinders are newcomers for this season and have made a number of top signings including England winger Abby Dow.
Canada’s Tyson Beukeboom is another of the new arrivals in west London and says the team are aiming to make their “own name”, kicking off with a home tie against Harlequins on Saturday.
“Being the underdog, which as a new team we’re going to be, kind of takes the pressure off,” Beukeboom told PA.
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“There isn’t a ton of expectation for us so we’re out to make our own name and see what we can do, which I think maybe can create some pressure within ourselves but from the outside there isn’t a ton of that expectation. We’re just excited to see what we can do.
“(Joining Ealing has) been amazing so far, it’s really fun coming into a new team and seeing what our team culture turns out to be. Meeting a whole bunch of new players and creating that family environment within a team.
“I think everyone’s really bought in and (Director of Women’s Rugby) Giselle (Mather) has done a really good job of creating that environment to have a successful team culture.”
Wales play their penultimate Euro 2024 qualifier in Armenia on Saturday.
Automatic qualification is in Wales’ own hands as two closing victories will book their place in Germany next summer.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the main talking points of the game in Yerevan.
Deja vu
The parallels between Wales’ successful Euro 2020 qualification and the current campaign are hard to resist.
Wales reached Euro 2020 with a fast finish – holding 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia to a Cardiff draw before winning in Azerbaijan and downing Hungary after back-to-back summer defeats.
Having suffered another pointless June and just beaten Croatia in Cardiff, Wales head to the Caucasus region again to take on Azerbaijan’s neighbour Armenia before finishing with a visit from Turkey.
Six more points will do.
Brennan’s back
The loss of Tottenham forward Brennan Johnson to injury last month was a big blow.
Johnson’s pace and movement can trouble any defence, but boss Rob Page plugged the gap against Croatia by utilising a three-man forward line of David Brooks, Harry Wilson and Kieffer Moore.
All three performed superbly with Wilson claiming a match-winning double.
Johnson is expected to return, however – possibly at the expense of Brooks – with Page also likely to use the pace of Daniel James from the bench.
Midfield promise
There was much wailing in Wales when Joe Allen hung up his international boots following the World Cup in Qatar.
Allen played a massive role over the last decade and midfield was seen as a problem area in the wake of his departure.
But Ethan Ampadu, with nearly 50 caps at the age of 23, has shown his leadership qualities in striking up an effective partnership with 19-year-old Jordan James.
The pair were magnificent in getting the better of Croatia’s much-vaunted midfield last month.
Repeat or revenge?
Wales have failed to beat Armenia in three meetings.
There were two draws in 2002 World Cup qualifying, 2-2 in Yerevan when John Hartson scored a brace, before a goalless Cardiff clash.
Wales were expected to breeze past Armenia – 71 places below them on the FIFA rankings when they met in June – but a 4-2 defeat damaged their Euro 2024 qualification hopes.
More than one Welsh player has mentioned avenging that loss in the build-up to the Yerevan return.
Yellow peril
Defensive pair Chris Mepham and Neco Williams will be walking disciplinary tightropes in Armenia.
Both players have picked up two bookings in the campaign, and a third would rule them out of Tuesday’s final qualifier against Turkey.
Wales have yet to lose any player to three bookings, although Joe Morrell and Kieffer Moore served two-match bans for respective red cards against Turkey and Armenia in the summer.
The Athletics’ move from Oakland to Las Vegas has been approved by Major League Baseball owners.
The 30 franchise owners voted unanimously in support of the team’s move from California to Nevada, with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred acknowledging that it was a “terrible day” for fans in Oakland.
The Athletics executives reached an agreement to build a new stadium in Las Vegas in May after the state’s legislature approved public financing towards the construction.
The Athletics have been based in Oakland since 1968, having previously been in Kansas City and Philadelphia.
MLB commissioner Manfred told a press conference: “I know this is a terrible day for fans in Oakland. I understand that, and that’s why we’ve always had a policy of doing everything humanly possible to avoid a relocation.
“I truly believe we did that in this case. I think it’s beyond debate that the status quo in Oakland was untenable.
“I absolutely am convinced that there was not a viable path forward in Oakland. We look forward to being in Las Vegas; there’s tremendous support locally for having the A’s there. We do believe over the long haul that Las Vegas will be a great asset to Major League Baseball.”
The Athletics’ owners had been unable to find a solution to keep the team in Oakland, with their existing Coliseum home in need of redevelopment.
What the papers say
Striker Ivan Toney will demand a transfer release clause if he is to sign a new contract with Brentford, according to The Sun.
Kylian Mbappe has agreed on a deal with Paris St Germain to forgo significant bonuses, according to the Daily Mail. But the France striker, 24, is still to sign a new contract.
Manchester City will compete with Liverpool to re-sign Bayern Munich forward Leroy Sane, 27, reports The Sun.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Finley Gorman: Manchester City have agreed on a £1.2million deal to sign the 15-year-old Leeds attacking midfielder, says Football Insider.
Jakub Kiwior: Arsenal are open to letting the Polish 23-year-old leave the club on loan as he is keen on more first-team football, according to 90min.
Tim Stutzle batted a puck out of mid-air with two seconds left in overtime to lift the Ottawa Senators to a 5-4 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday in the opening game of the NHL’s Global Series in Sweden.
Stutzle also assisted on two goals by Brady Tkachuk and Josh Norris added a goal and an assist to help the Senators recover after squandering a four-goal lead.
The game was the first over four days in Stockholm as part of the Global Series.
Ottawa, Detroit, Minnesota and Toronto are involved in the first such series outside North America. It marks the NHL’s return to Sweden for the first time since before the pandemic.
Shayne Gostisbehere scored a goal and set up two others for the Red Wings, who have lost three of four.
Short-handed Devils cool Penguins
Jesper Bratt, Alexander Holtz and Tyler Toffoli scored third-period goals as the undermanned New Jersey Devils snapped the Pittsburgh Penguins’ five-game winning streak, 5-2.
New Jersey ended a three-game skid and defeated Pittsburgh for the sixth straight time despite missing forwards Timo Meier, Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes.
Curtis Lazer had a short-handed goal and an assist to reach 100 career points for the Devils.
Bryan Rust scored twice for the Penguins and Sidney Crosby had an assist to extend his point streak to 10 games.
Crosby became the 15th player in league history with 11 point streaks of at least 10 games.
Kings snap Panthers’ 5-game streak
Kevin Fiala had a goal and an assist and Cam Talbot turned aside 30 shots in the Los Angeles Kings’ 2-1 win over the Florida Panthers, who had a five-game winning streak halted.
Anze Kopitar scored on the power play as the Kings won at home for just the second time in eight games.
Sam Reinhart scored in his third straight game, but Florida was held to its lowest scoring output since being shut out at Minnesota in its season opener.
Formula One bosses were dealt a hugely embarrassing blow after first practice for the Las Vegas Grand Prix was cancelled.
The running under the lights of the Las Vegas strip was suspended when Carlos Sainz broke down in his Ferrari with just eight minutes on the clock.
And then 11 minutes later, at 8:49pm local time, it was announced the session would not be resumed – it emerged Sainz’s failure was caused by a loose manhole cover.
Television replays showed Sainz being jolted in his cockpit as the cover struck the underneath of his machine as he approached 200mph on the Las Vegas Boulevard.
Esteban Ocon also smashed into the debris – against the backdrop of Caesars Palace, Bellagio and Venetian hotels – causing significant damage to his Alpine.
Ferrari described the damage to Sainz’s car as “extensive”, while Alpine said Ocon will require a new chassis.
Ferrari team principal Frederic Masseur said: “He (Sainz) said I hit something on track, and he didn’t know what it was. It is just unacceptable for F1.”
An FIA spokesperson said: “Following an inspection, a concrete frame around a manhole cover has failed.
“We now need to check all of the other manhole covers which will take some time.
“We will be discussing with the local circuit engineering team about the length of time it will take to resolve and we will update with any resultant changes to the schedule.”
Second practice is due to begin at midnight local time (8:00 GMT). But there are significant doubts if there will be any running today at the 3.8-mile temporary street venue.
Speaking on Sky Sports, the highly-respected TV pundit and former driver Martin Brundle, said: “That’s it for today from my experience.
“Fixing that and checking everything else, letting it dry and making sure it won’t come out again is going to be a big job.
“Theoretically, they are going to re-open the Strip (for public use) after the F1 practice sessions. That is a very, very big issue if there are other areas like that around the track.”
The problems of loose manhole covers at street venues is not a new one in the sport.
Jenson Button struck a dislodged drain in practice in Monaco in 2016, while George Russell also ran over a drain cover in Azerbaijan four years ago.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said on Sky: “It’s a shame that we are not allowed on track.
“They are going to have to check all the manhole covers and weld them or do something because you can see the damage that it has done.
“It’s a great shame for the fans but safety comes first. We have got to get this right and hopefully it won’t take too long.”
The cancellation of opening practice comes 24 hours after triple world champion criticised the staging of the Las Vegas Grand Prix – the first here in four decades and maiden event on the strip – as “99 per cent show, and one per cent sport”.
Jimmy Butler scored 18 of his 36 points in the third quarter and the Miami Heat extended the NBA’s current longest winning streak to seven games with a 122-115 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday.
Duncan Robinson added 26 points and Bam Adebayo had 20 to help Miami win seven in a row for the first time since Dec. 30, 2017-Jan. 14, 2018.
The Heat dropped to 1-4 with a loss to Brooklyn on Nov. 4, but haven’t lost since and their 8-4 record ties for the fourth-best 12-game start under Erik Spoelstra.
Each win during Miami’s current streak has been by single digits. Charlotte is the only other team without a double-digit win yet.
Mikal Bridges and Lonnie Walker IV scored 23 points apiece for the Nets, which had won five straight against the Heat.
Joe perfect from deep as Thunder win
Isaiah Joe went 7 for 7 from 3-point range to score 23 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder handed the short-handed Golden State Warriors their fifth straight loss, 128-109.
Shai Gilgeous Alexander had 24 points and seven assists and Josh Giddey scored 19 to propel Oklahoma City to its fifth win in six games.
Chet Holmgren added 13 points and 10 rebounds as the Thunder defeated the Warriors for only the second time in the past 11 meetings.
Jonathan Kuminga scored 21 points for Golden State, which dropped to 1-5 at home this season.
Golden State played without Stephen Curry (right knee soreness) and Draymond Green (suspension) and guard Gary Payton II exited with a sprained left ankle in the second quarter.
Former world heavyweight champion David Haye was advised by doctors to retire from boxing on this day in 2013.
The then 33-year-old was told to think about ending his 11-year professional career after undergoing five hours of surgery in Germany in an attempt to reconstruct his right shoulder.
Haye had been due to face fellow Briton Tyson Fury in a rearranged bout in Manchester the following February, but was forced to cancel the fight for a second time, having previously pulled out of a September date due to a cut above his left eyebrow.
In a statement on Haye’s website, he said: “I genuinely believed the shoulder injury wasn’t that bad.
“But the doctor sent me for a detailed MRI scan and within 24 hours I was told the full extent of the damage. Twenty-four hours after that I was in the operating theatre.
“It’s a crushing blow for me. I had big plans for next year and the ultimate goal was to win back the world heavyweight title, something my amazing fans deserve.
“What I didn’t anticipate was that this year would be the unluckiest of my career and that a number of injuries would disrupt my plans so much.
“Perhaps it just wasn’t meant to be. The boxing Gods keep hinting that maybe enough is enough and that it’s time to finally hang up my gloves.”
Despite the medical advice, Haye returned to the ring four years later with wins over Mark de Mori and Arnold Gjergjaj in 2016.
He had become unified cruiserweight world champion by stopping fellow Briton Enzo Maccarinelli in 2008 and beat Russian Nikolay Valuev for the WBA heavyweight title in 2009.
The Bermondsey fighter finally announced his retirement in June 2018 after back-to-back losses to Tony Bellew, walking away from the sport aged 37 with 28 career wins – 26 by knockout – from 32 fights.
The Baltimore Ravens strengthened their grip on the AFC North with a 34-20 win over divisional rivals Cincinnati Bengals.
And there was more bad news for the Bengals, who lost quarterback Joe Burrow to a wrist injury.
Burrow was injured in a tackle by Ravens linebacker Jadeveon Clowney during the second quarter and appeared in pain as he threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Joe Mixon on the next play.
That gave the Bengals a 10-7 lead, but as Burrow headed to the medical tent and struggled to throw on the sideline, the Ravens took control.
Lamar Jackson threw two touchdown passes in the second quarter, the second a 10-yard connection to Rashod Bateman with only 23 seconds left in the half which opened a lead they never looked like giving up.
The Ravens defence had five sacks, increasing their league-leading total to 44 and Gus Edwards sealed the win with a three-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Formula One bosses were dealt a hugely embarrassing blow after first practice for the Las Vegas Grand Prix was cancelled.
The running under the lights of the Las Vegas strip was initially suspended when Carlos Sainz broke down in his Ferrari with just eight minutes on the clock.
And then 11 minutes later at 8:49pm local time, it was announced the session would not be resumed after it emerged Esteban Ocon smashed into a drain cover.
An FIA spokesperson said: “Following inspection, it was the concrete frame around a manhole cover that has failed.
“We now need to check all of the other manhole covers which will take some time.
“We will be discussing with the local circuit engineering team about the length of time it will take to resolve and will update with any resultant changes to the schedule.”
Luis Diaz scored twice as Colombia stunned Brazil 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier, days after his father was released by kidnappers.
The Liverpool striker netted twice in four minutes late in the second half, watched by his father Luiz Manuel Diaz who was held for 12 days before his release last week.
Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli had put Brazil in front after just four minutes.
Colombia’s first win over Brazil for eight years lifts them into third in the South American qualifying table with Brazil, who suffered a second successive defeat in the competition, down to fifth.
On a night of surprises, goals from Ronald Araujo and Darwin Nunez saw Uruguay beat Argentina 2-0.
Lionel Messi struggled to impose himself, hitting the crossbar in the second half as Argentina’s 100% record since lifting the World Cup was ended.
Uruguay’s win lifts them to second in the table, two points behind Argentina.
Venezuela are in fourth after a goalless draw with Ecuador, Chile and Paraguay also drawing a blank while Bolivia won the battle of the bottom two with a 2-0 win over Peru.
Shohei Ohtani and Ronald Acuña Jr. have consistently broken the mold in their young careers, and the unique accomplishments seemingly keep on coming.
Ohtani was announced as the American League’s Most Valuable Player of 2023, becoming the first player to win the award twice by unanimous vote.
Acuña was a unanimous selection as NL MVP after completing MLB’s first ever 40-homer, 70-steal season.
Never before have both MVP votes in the same year been unanimous.
A two-way star unprecedented in the modern game, Ohtani led the AL with 44 home runs while hitting .304 and accumulating 96 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. From the mound, he went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 132 innings pitched.
The Los Angeles Angels star received all 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Rangers shortstop Corey Seager finished second with 24 second-place votes, while Texas teammate Marcus Semien finished third with five second-place votes.
Acuña helped lead the Atlanta Braves to the best record in baseball at 104-58. He was second in the NL with a .336 batting average and led the majors with 149 runs, 217 hits, 386 total bases and 73 stolen bases while hitting 41 home runs with 106 RBIs.
Mookie Betts, who won the 2018 AL MVP award, received all 30 second-place votes, while his Los Angeles Dodgers teammate and former Brave Freddie Freeman finished third.
With the final MLB awards announced, attention now turns to the winter hot stove, primarily Ohtani’s free agency.
The Japan-born star appeared to be a lock for a record-breaking contract this offseason, but injuries cut his 2023 campaign short, and he underwent right elbow surgery in September.
While Ohtani will certainly receive massive compensation, a second major surgery on his throwing elbow could complicate the equation for the Angels and the host of other teams likely to bid for his services.
Ohtani underwent Tommy John surgery in 2018, and while the exact nature of his most recent surgery has not been revealed publicly, his team has said he will not pitch in 2024.
Jamaica Cycling Federation (JCF) has moved to clear the air regarding matters involving national cyclist Dahlia Palmer and the absence of her coach Robert Farrier from the Pan American Games, where she won bronze in the women's keirin final in Chile recently.
The JCF in a widely circulated release started by addressing the issue of Palmer finding US$4,742.50 ($738,000) to fund her way to the Pan American Track Cycling Championships (PATCC). The federation pointed out that it is not unusual for any national cyclist to partly or completely self-fund their trips to various competitions as the federation is not able to fully fund all cyclists to all the needed competitions overseas.
It added that Palmer is one of twenty National Cyclists selected for national duties in 2023 across both cycling disciplines (track and road) and based on the recommendation of the JCF, she has been the recipient of the Solidarity Scholarship funded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and managed through the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA).
"Dahlia has been a beneficiary of this scholarship for two consecutive Olympic cycles and the sole cyclist to benefit from this funding valued at USD15,000 annually. The federation has funded Dahlia Palmer to UCI Nations Cup appearances since late 2018 through to March 2022, totaling to amounts more than USD $37,345, not including the Solidarity funds," the JCF release said.
"It is important to note that in August 2023 the federation obtained sponsorship from the cycling community and was able send a Junior cyclist to the World Junior Track Cycling Championships. This was done to fulfill the mandatory requirement of the world cycling governing body UCI, in which Jamaica’s participation in this event will enable our elite track cyclist to participate in the World Track Cycling Championships in 2024 in the event they qualify, this includes Ms. Palmer," it stated.
Where Palmer’s personal coach, Farrier is concerned, the JCF explained that he is not a member of the federation and its appointed coaches. Farrier has also been said to have openly discredited, belittled, and denigrated the JCF board, local coaches and track athletes, which the JCF said resulted in his suspension and, by extension, his absence from the PanAm Games.
"Ahead of the team’s departure for the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games, a team meeting was convened. The national coach, members of the JCF board, athletes and their personal managers/coaches were in attendance. Mr. Farrier stated that if he was not selected to attend the games as coach, then Ms. Dahlia Palmer would not attend the games. He further
threatened to embarrass the JCF and the JOA before abruptly leaving the meeting, when told that the national coach selected to manage the team is the sole official from the federation based on the games accreditation calculator as stated by the JOA.
"Mr. Farrier was then advised that based on his behavior the JCF would not consider him for national accreditation to accompany selected cyclist to represent Jamaica internationally for a minimum of 12-months and asked that he provide a written apology to both the JOA and the JCF. A suspension of this nature is in keeping with code of conduct guidelines set out by the global cycling body UCI. Subsequently the JOA requested a meeting with the JCF and Dahlia Palmer to discuss her withdrawal from the CAC games. Ms. Palmer refused to attend the meeting without her coach, Mr. Farrier," the JCF explained.
According to the JCF, on September 20, 2023, an attorney representing Palmer and Farrier contested the issue of his suspension and refusal of accreditation to the PanAm Games.
Following her medal winning exploit, Palmer expressed some semblance of fulfilment due to the fact that Farrier had to give her instructions while watching the Games on television in Trinidad and Tobago, where they are based.
However, the JCF explained that his absence could have been avoided.
"Information regarding the threat of a lawsuit Palmer/Farrier vs JCF was posted by SportsMax.TV on September 22, and a TVJ feature on September 27, which included an interview with Palmer/Farrier’s attorney. There were exchanges between both attorneys on the matter. The JCF agreed to accredit Mr. Farrier on condition that he provides a written apology to the JCF and the JOA for his behavior, and that this should be shared in the same medium in which the matter was made public by Palmer/Farrier themselves or their respective agents.
"Mr. Farrier refused to issue a public apology and, as such was not accredited to accompany Ms. Palmer for the PanAm Games. The national coach, Carlton Simmonds, was accredited to attend the PanAm Games to support Ms. Palmer. Ms. Palmer, however, refused any assistance or contact with the assigned coach and opted to be coached remotely by her personal coach, Robert Farrier," the JCF shared, adding that it remains committed to supporting all national cyclists, and also congratulated Palmer on her achievement.
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